Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-06

ers is brought from France, but we make
all our umbrella gingham, whice Is woven
into various widths to suit umbrella
frames Of different sizes. and along each
edge of the fabric border is formed o
large cords. As to alpaca, u dye house
has been built near Philadelphia on the
plan of English dye houses, SD that oul
homemade alpacas may be dyed as good
and durable black as the Bingham re-
ceives; for although nobody minds carry
ing an old umbrella, nobody likes to car,
~ faded one. Although there are um'
brellas of blue, green and buff, the favor
lite hue seems to be black.
And now that we have all the materials
together to make an umbrella, let us 60
into mandatory and see exactly how
all the pieces are put together. FIRST,
here is the stick, which must be mounted
that is, there are two springs to be put
in, the ferule is to be put on the top end,
and if the handle is of other material than
the stick, that must be put on. The ugllest
of all the work is the cutting of the slots
in which the springs are put. These are
first cut BY machine; but if the man who
operates it is not careful he will get some
OF his fingers cut off Even after the slot
cutting machine has done its work, there Is
yet something TO be done by another man
with a knife before the spring can be put
in. After the springs are set the terule Is
put on, and when natural sticks are used,
as all are of different sizes, it requires con-
siderable time and care TO find ierule to
fit the stick. rs we'll as in whiting off the
end of the stick to suit the ferule. And be-
fore going further we notice here that all
the counters in the various wOrkTOOms are
carpetcd. The carpet prevents the polished
sticks from being scratched and the dust
from sticking TO the umbrella goods. After
the handle is put on the stick and band
put on for finish or ornament the stick goes
to the frame makers, who iastens the
stretchers to the ribs, strings the top cord
of the ribs on a wire which is fitted into
the runner notch" then he strings the
lower ends of the Stretches on wire,
and fastcns in the runner, and then,
when both runners" are securely fixed,
the umbrella is ready for the cover. As
this is very important part OF the UNI
brella, several men an women ere employ
ed in making it, In the room where the
covers are cut you will at first notice n
great number of V shaped things hanging
against the wall on either side of the long
room. These letter VS. are usually made
OF wood, tipped all around with brass or
some other fine metal and are of n great
variety of sizes. They are the umbrella
cover patterns, rs you soon make ont. To
begin with, the cutter lays his silk or
bingham very smoothly out on a long
counter, folding it back and forth until
the fabric lies eight or sixteen times in
thickness, the layers being several yards
in length. Both edges of the material has
been hemmed by 4 woman on a sewing
machine before it is spread ont on the
counter. When the cutter finds that he
has the stuff smoothly arranged, with the
edges even, he lays on his pattern, and
with it a sharp knife quickly draws along
two sides of it anc in twinkling the
pieces for perhaps two umbrellas are cut
out; this is so When the material is six
teen layers thick and the umbrella cover is
to have hut eight pieces.
After the cover is cut, each piece is care
fully examined by a woman to see that
there are no holes nor defects in II, for one
bad piece would spoil a whole umbrella.
Then man takes the pieces and stretches
the cut edges This stretching must he so
skillully done that the whole length of the
edge he evenly stretched, and it Is neceS-
sary in order 10 secure good fit on the
frame After this, the pieces 90 to the sew
ing room, where they are sewed together by
in yyh hot -
called pudding bag seam The woman
must have the machine tension Just right
or the thread of the seam will break when
the cover is stretched over the frame. The
next step in the work is to tasten the cover
TO the frame, which is done by woman.
After the cover is fastened at the top and
bottom, she half hOiStS the umbrella, and
has a small tool which she uses to keep the
umbrella in that position; then she iastens
the seams to the ribs, and quick work
woman will do all this in five minutes rs
well as sew on the tie, which has been
made by another pair of hands
Then the cap is put on and
the umbrella is completed. But
before it is sent to the salesroOm another
woman smOoths the edge of the umbrella
all around with n warm fiatiron. Then
another woman holds il up to a window
where there is strong light, and hunts
for holes in it. Ii it is found to be perfect
the cover is neatly arranged about the
stick, the tie wrapped about it and fasten-
ed, and the finished umbrella goes TO mar
Diet Tor n buyer. From the time the stick is
mounted till the umbrella is finished, il
takes hut fifteen minutes.